Abdominal buttocks and other muscle groups exercise device

ABSTRACT

An exercise device for specific isolation and development of abdominal, pelvic, shoulder, forearm and buttock muscle groups comprises a deformable spring-resistance which is closely retained against the user&#39;s lower abdominal and upper leg region. When the device is used in a horizontal position the user kneels on the frame and grasps the frame with the hands and performs a pelvic thrusting motion against the resistance means by use of the above-stated muscle groups.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a resistance-based exercise device for beneficialworkout and development of specific muscle groups, namely of the lowerabdominal and buttocks musculature consisting of upper, lower andtransverse abdominal muscles, gluteus maximus and upper leg muscles.Shoulders and latisimus dorsi are also toned and defined.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the world of fitness, exercise and body-building, the efficientdevelopment of abdominal muscles of the human body is particularlydifficult. Because the abdominal muscles are not attached to any joint,traditional joint movement exercises have little or no effect on theabdominals. Exercises such as sit-ups or weight-loaded variations onsit-ups may indirectly involve the abdominal muscles but are inefficientbecause much of the exercise energy is dissipated in the joints andmuscles attached to the joints such as hip flexors. Thus, thetraditional exercises and machines designed to exercise abdominalmuscles are inefficient and require long and laborious programs ofrigorous exercise.

The abdominal muscles, consist of several muscle groups, all located inthe midsection, just below the chest to the pubic bone. These include:rectus abdominis which is made up of upper, middle, and lowerabdominals; transverse abdominis; and the obliques. The abdominals bringthe ribs and the pelvis closer together.

The upper, middle and lower abdominals start near the middle of thesternum and run vertically to the lower part of the pelvis; they areresponsible for flexing the vertebral column or helping curl the trunkwhen doing such activities as sit-ups or sitting up in bed. It isimportant to have strong abdominal muscles for most motions, includingcommon day-to-day activities. These muscles help support the spine. Weakmuscles also create greater pressure on the lower back and often causelower back pain. Furthermore, weak muscles can create an unattractivephysical appearance and result in loss of self esteem. Strong abdominalmuscles, on the other hand, not only help in physical appearance andself esteem but also aid in physical activities such as running andother sports.

Sit-ups and similar exercises are often used by people attempting tostrengthen the abdominal muscles. Unfortunately, many of thesetraditional abdominal exercises, such as the basic sit-up, involve theabdominal muscles mostly in a secondary role as a stabilizer. The bulkof the motion in these exercises is actually provided by the musclegroup known as the hip flexors. For example, if a person performssit-ups with his/her feet held down, the hip flexors, rather than theabdominal muscles may end up doing the majority of the work. This maylead to strong hip flexor muscles pulling down on the pelvis. Withoutstrong lower abdominal muscles to counteract this downward pull this mayresult in a forward tilting pelvis rather than a balanced pelvis andpotentially lead to lower back pain.

In addition, injuries may occur as a result of improper exercisingtechniques. For example, injuries often occur when a person incorrectlyperforms an exercise, such as the traditional sit-up in which a personlies back down on the floor with hands behind the head and then attemptsto raise the trunk of the body in a “crunching” motion. Often times whendoing traditional sit-ups a person will pull on the neck to aid inperforming the movement, thus increasing the chances of a neck injuryand decreasing the work of the abdominal muscles. Furthermore, whenperforming a traditional sit-up a person may not move the head neck andshoulder as a single unit or may incorrectly arch the back therebyleading to possible injury. In addition, due to the varying degrees ofdifficulty of moving the body through the range of the traditionalsit-up, such as the difficulty in initially moving the body from thefloor, people often use jerking type motions to perform a sit-up.Finally, traditional sit-ups are often painful to perform on a hardsurface such as an uncarpeted floor. The present invention allows for anabdominal workout on such hard surfaces by providing a frame on whichthe person performs the exercise.

The present device allows for the exercising of the abdominal muscles bysimple smooth motions which do not require jerking or the need to grabthe head to move the upper body.

In an effort to provide for the efficient and easy exercise of muscles,including the abdominals, a variety of exercise devices have beendeveloped, including powered machines, that selectively challengedifferent sets of body muscles. One area of exercise is directed to theabdominal muscle sets. One such device described in the patentliterature as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,425 (Miller '425). TheMiller patent teaches a device that involves direct, progressiveresistance to the user over the field of action. This means that duringmovement over the inherent range of motion for the prior art device,that its resistance level increases linearly, as opposed to a preferredconstant plus consistent resistance level throughout the device range ofmotion.

The prior art device lacks the mechanical features and architecture thatcan provide toning in the course of using the device's motion. Thisfeature is made more evident by resort to FIGS. 11-17, of Miller on itsone preferred embodiment. FIGS. 11 and 12 show the extreme postureseffected in using the device upright and crouched. Looking to Miller'sFIGS. 13, 15, and 16, an elastic band 124 is rigged over spaced-apart,opposing hood ends 120/134, so that user exertion on cross bands 40/41results in a linearly increasing resistance as the finite length band134 is extended.

As discussed above, there is a need for more efficient devices forexercise and development of abdominal musculature in addition tosporting and personal appearance aspects, in that the medicalconsequences of weak abdominal muscles are dangerously weak back andspinal erector muscle groups which oppose the frontal abdominal groups.Proper and efficient exercise oft he abdominal muscles will tend torequire strengthening of back musculature, having both remedial andpreventive beneficial effects relating to common lower back and spinalproblems.

Because many prior art methods are oriented to controlled posture andtensioning with large weight-type devices, the devices can not beadapted to a portable use. In order to be made convenient, portable andaccessible to a large market share, a new and more compact method wassought which might approach the efficiency of the prior art largermachines and retain many of the benefits newly developed for abdominalmusculature exercise.

Previous attempts to provide abdominal exercise devices, such as U.S.Pat. No. 5,05,832, do not provide support for the device other than thatsupplied by the user. For instance, the device of that patent requiresthe device to be belted to the to the user's body by waistband 3. Inaddition, such devices are complicated, involving pulleys 8. Theposition oft he hands may be difficult for those with shoulder problems.Further, these devices encourage the pushing out of the abdominalmuscles. cumbersome to use and is not readily adjustable to users ofdifferent sizes.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide anabdominal and leg exercise device that can be used alternately forabdominal toning and leg muscle toning.

It is another object of the invention to provide an exercise devicewhich incorporates a preferred constant resistance level featureoccurring throughout the defined range of motion for the device user.

Due to the difficult nature of exercising the abdominal muscles, it isdesirable to have a device which allows for the safe and convenientexercise of these muscles.

The current invention is designed to aid a person in putting the body ina position where the appropriate muscles are utilized.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to enable exercise of theabdominal musculature in an efficient and effective way while ensuringconstant, proper body alignment thus avoiding twisting injuries.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a means of exercisingthe abdominal musculature that will isolate a major portion of therequired user effort on the abdominal muscles being exercised,minimizing wasted motion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of exercisingthe upper leg muscle without the use of heavy weights or a separatedevice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that willcorrectively address lower back problems at the same time as exercisingthe abdominal musculature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that can beadjustable over a wide range for a variety of users of different heightsand particular physical condition.

A further objective of the invention is to provide a simplified exercisemethod for development of the abdominal musculature that involves aminimum of separate parts and can be easily used by an unsophisticatedpurchaser.

Another objective is to reduce the effects of spinal lordosis.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a device whicheliminates potential injury causing jerking motions of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objectives of the invention are accomplished byproviding a device consisting primarily of a resilient spring-band ofmetal or resilient plastic configured so that one end of the leaf-springshape is placed on the pubo-pelvic junction, upper leg or lowerabdominal muscles to provide resistance exercise for the associatedmuscle groups. The spring can be deformed by means of pulling against apadded handle attached to the devices frame. The deformation andresistance of the spring may additionally be controlled by an adjustabledevice such as a spring, a hydraulic or air cylinder, or the like. Theexercise is then repeated in sets as is common with developmentexercises of various kinds. The user may also place the device in ahorizontal position on the floors such that the user is on “all fours”with the knees resting in padded cups. The user then pulls on thehandles and moves the pelvis forward against the resistance means.

The present invention also eliminates injuries caused by jerking motionscommon with other abdominal exercises by providing a constant resistanceto movement and stability to the user such that such jerking motions areunnecessary. Instead of having a starting position in which the user islying back down, the current invention allows the exerciser to be in astable “all fours” position when performing the exercise, therebyeliminating strain on the neck or shoulders.

When used in the horizontal position, the user places the frame feetdown on the floor or other suitable surface. The user then mounts theframe by grasping the handles at the front of the machine with the handsand placing knees on knee pads at the rear of the frame such that theupper portion of the legs are perpendicular to the frame so that theuser is in an “all fours” position. The pad member is adjusted so as tobe positioned at the pubo-pelvic junction but resting against the medialpubis bone. From this “all fours” position the user flexes the pubiccarriage forward and upward against the resistance and then relaxes backinto the starting posture where the movement is immediately repeated.The abdominal area is thus exercised by rotating the resistance meansthrough a range of motion at constant resistance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side view of a human user of the exercise device showing thedevice in use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective frontal view of the exercise device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the resistancemechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the resistancemechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the resistancemechanism of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to FIG. 1 a first embodiment of the present invention isdepicted in use in a side view which shows the resistance member 10attached to frame 18 by spring anchor bracket 22 on one end andconnected to pad member 13 near the other end. Pad member 13 hasadjustment means 14 for adjusting the placement of pad member 13 on leafspring 10 to obtain a comfortable placement on a human using the presentdevice. Connector 12 connects pad 11 to pad member 13. Frame 18 hassupport legs 19 and 20 at opposing ends and may be pivoted at point 16for storage. The spring mechanism pivots for storage, the feet arestationary. Stop pin 17 locates spring anchor bracket 22 on frame 18.Knee pads 15 attach to the lower portion of frame 18 and provide acomfortable contact point for the user's knees. The angle betweenresistance means 10 and frame 18 may be adjustable to adapt to theindividual user's size and shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, frame 18 comprises opposed first and second C-shapedsupports 25,26 such that the middle of the C-shape supports 25,26 formparallel support rails 27 approximately 4 inches apart. Frame 18 ispreferably made of a light weight rigid support structure to stablysupport the user such as 1 inch metal tubing with a wall thickness of{fraction (1/16)} inches. The frame is approximately 36 inches in thevertical direction and 26 inches in the lateral direction. Supports 25,26 lie flat in a first plane except for handles 24 which may be tiltedslightly towards the user for convenience of the user and ergonomicpurposes. Handles 24 preferably have grip29, made of rubber, hard foam,or similar material which allows the user to firmly grasp handles 24 andprevent slippage of grip. Supports 25, 26 have a series of alignedlocation holes 28 along the parallel support rails 27 of the supports25, 26 for insertion of bracket stop pin 17. Supports 25, 26 may havefirst section 39 and second section 41 pivotally connected at point 16such that frame 18 is foldable for storage.

Cross support members 34, 35 are affixed to the top and rear of frame 18at the base of the U-shaped portion of supports 25, 26 and extendperpendicular to supports rails 27. Cross support members 34, 35 havelegs 19, 20 with feet 36, 37. Feet 36,37 of the cross support members34, 35 contact the floor or other surface upon which the device isplaced. Preferably the feet are placed at the outer corner of supports25, 26 to provide for stability of frame 18 during use. Legs 19, 20 areapproximately 3 inches in length so as to provide sufficient distancebetween the user's fingers and the contact surface on which the deviceis placed. Feet 36,37 have movement resistant bottoms, such as rubber orplastic to help prevent the device from sliding on the floor or othersurface in which it is in contact. it will be noted that length ofsupport legs 19, 20 may be adjustable, such as by a threaded screw suchthat the angle of the frame relative to the ground may be adjusted.

Knee pads 15 are preferably located on frame 18 about shoulder widthapart. In a preferred embodiment knee pads are located on the outer sideof the C-frame and are supported by a U-shaped curve at the bottom ofthe C-shaped supports 25,26 which surround pads 15 on three sides. Kneepads 15 have raised walls 21 on the front and sides, thus allowing foreasy placement of the user's knee on the knee pad and providing forwardand lateral support to the knee during use. In a preferred embodiment,knee pads 15 have a surface material preferably made of fabric coveredfoam which helps keep the knees from slipping. The interior of the kneepads are made of flexible foam to provide support for the knee andprotection to the patella or kneecap. The knee pads are approximately 7inches by 7 inches by 2 ½ inches.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, anchor bracket 22 is located betweenparallel support rails 27 and has a receiving hole 38 for aligning withthe location holes 28 of support rails for receiving stop pin 17. Stoppin 17, as shown in FIG. 1, may be inserted through the receiving hole38 and location holes 28 thereby supporting anchor bracket 22 andholding it in position. Thus, the position of anchor bracket 22 andattached resistance member 10 may thus be adjusted along parallelsupport rails 27 of frame 18 by removal of stop pin 17. This allows foreasy adjustment of resistance member 10 and pivot point 44.

As best seen in FIG. 1, resistance member 10 is pivotally connected tospring bracket 22 at a first end and pad member 13 at a second end.Connector 12 is attached to pad member 13 and extends to pad bar 43 onwhich pad 11 is affixed. Connector 12 is preferably curved towards theuser. Pad 11 is preferably made of foam and covered in plastic forcontact with the user. The adjustment means 14 allows for the movementof the pad member 13 along the resistance member 10 to adjust to thevarying height of the users. The adjustment means 14 may be a screwwhich is tightened down on resistance member or other know means such asa slot and pin assembly or the like.

The resistance or tension of the resistance means may be adjustedaccording to the needs of the user. Two or three springs may be used forvarying degrees of resistance. The exercise can be closely controlled byproviding an adjustment to resistance means 14 which could easily beincorporated to vary the restraining strength of the shock betweencertain maximum and minimum forces. With such adjustment the device canaccommodate progressive strengthening of the user and as the useradvances in strength and development the tension of the device can beincreased. The resistance varies over the range of motion, at the peakof motion the most resistance is present.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 depict alternate embodiments of resistance member 10.The resistance member may be constructed of a material which offersresistance to bending. Preferably the resistance member is a leaf springand is manufactured from thin, flexible, steel. FIG. 3 depicts analternate resistance means which comprises a spring 30 attached to, orabutting, the frame at one end and arm 31 at the other. Arm 31 isfixedly attached to arm 33 and rotates about pivot point 32 whereby theresistance spring 30 is compressed when the mechanism is used. FIG. 4shows resistance means 40 which is a shock-style resistance connected toarm 42 at one end and to frame 18 at the other. FIG. 5 depicts anotherembodiment of the present invention wherein resistance spring 50 isstretched during the use of the device in order to provide resistance tomovement of the pad. Spring 50 is attached at one end to frame 18 atpoint 51 and at the other end to arm 53. Arm 53 pivots on the frame atpoint 52.

The operation of the device will now be discussed. Frame 18 is placed onthe floor. The user's posture and positioning when using the device canbe seen in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows the user is in the initial verticalexercise position. The user places knees on knee pads 15 and grasps theform handles 24. The user is thus in a stable position in which toperform the exercise with his back parallel to the frame 18. Theposition pubo-pelvic 11 pad should be properly adjusted so that it restsagainst the pubo-pelvic bone of the user. The pad 11 located on theresistance member 10 is provided with resistance by resistance means,such as a leaf spring against the upward movement of the body, therebycausing the abdominal muscles to be exercised.

When used in the horizontal position, the user places the frame 18 feetdown on the floor such that feet 36 and 37 contact the floor surface.The user then mounts the frame 18 by grasping the handles 24 and placingknees on knee pads 15 such that the upper portion of the legs areperpendicular to frame 18 so that the user is in an “all fours”position. The pad member 13 is adjusted so as to lightly rest againstthe pubo-pelvic bone. From this “all fours” position the user slowlythrusts the pelvis forward against resistance means. The user then moveshis pelvic area forward against the pubo-pelvic pad 11 thereby pushingthe pad member 13 and moving the resistance member 10 through an angularrotation about pivot point 44. The resistance member 10, which is a leafspring in preferred embodiment show in FIG. 1 provides resistance to themovement thereby requiring the user to perform work which in turnsexercises the abdominal, buttocks, shoulder and forearm muscles. Theabdominal area is thus exercised by rotating the resistance memberthrough a range of motion.

As the exercise device is used daily, the user will enjoy increasedstrength and definition of the abdominal muscles and will be able tooperate the exercise device for longer intervals and increased multiplesof the exercise in sets thus developing stamina. Because the exercisedevice is compact, light-weight, easy to use and portable, the user isencouraged to make regular use of the exercise device and realize thebenefits in muscle tone and endurance as well as benefit to surroundingand balancing muscle groups such as lumbar and spinal erectors. As thedevice will have a variety of therapeutic uses, its ease of use and lackof need for intensive instruction of supervision will make it adaptableto use by semi-invalids, patients recovering from various injuries, andeven persons suffering from limitations of strength and movement such asarthritis.

While the invention disclosed herein has been described by means ofspecific embodiments thereof, there are numerous modification andvariations thereof which could be made by those skilled in the art. Itis therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than specificallydescribed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise device comprising: a frame, saidframe including handles attached thereto for gripping by the hands of auser; a knee support connected to said frame for contacting the knees ofthe user; a resistance member pivotally connected to said frame forcontacting the pubo-pelvic area of the user; and a resistance meansincluded in said resistance member for providing resistance to pivotingof said resistance member such that the user can perform exercises bythe motion of the abdominal and/or leg muscles against the pivotalresistance of said resistance means for cyclic pelvic thrusting, whereinsaid frame has a forward end and rear end with handles attached nearsaid forward end, said knee support connected near said rear end andsaid resistance member connected between said handles and said rear end,and wherein said resistance means is based against motion towards saidhandles.
 2. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein the connection ofsaid resistance member to the frame is adjustable to accommodate thesize of the user.
 3. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein theresistance of said resistance means is adjustable.
 4. The exercisedevice of claim 1 wherein said resistance means is a leaf spring.
 5. Theexercise device of claim 1 wherein said resistance means is acompression resistance spring comprising: a bar pivotally connected tosaid frame and fixedly attached to said resistance member such thatrotation of said resistance member rotates said bar; and a resistancespring attached at a first end to bar and at a second end to said framesuch that rotation of bar compresses said resistance spring.
 6. Theexercise device of claim 1 wherein said resistance means is a shockresistance spring comprising a shock connected at a first end to saidresistance member and at a second end to said frame such that rotationof said first member causes the shock to provide resistance to saidrotation.
 7. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein said resistancemeans is a stretch resistance spring attached at a first end to saidresistance member and at a second end to said frame such that rotationof said resistance member causes the spring to stretch and provideresistance to said rotation.
 8. An exercise device comprising: a frame,said frame including handles attached thereto for gripping by the handsof a user; a knee support connected to said frame for contacting theknees of the user; a connector attached to said frame; a resistancemember pivotally attached to said connector and extending in a planeperpendicular to said frame; a pad assembly attached to said resistancemember, said pad assembly for contacting the pubo-pelvic area of theuser such that the user can perform exercises by the motion of theabdominal and/or leg muscles against said resistance member, whereinsaid frame has a forward end and a rear end with handles attached nearsaid forward end, said knee support connected near said rear end andsaid resistance member connected between said handles and said rear end,and wherein said resistance means is biased against motion towards saidhandles.
 9. The exercise device of claim 1 wherein said frame isfoldable about a pivot point to flatten the unit for storage.
 10. Theexercise device of claim 1 wherein said resistance member is connectedto said frame by an anchor bracket.
 11. The exercise device of claim 10wherein the angle between said resistance member and said frame isadjustable.
 12. The exercise device of claim 4 wherein said leaf springis manufactured of metal.
 13. The exercise device of claim 8 whereinsaid resistance member is manufactured of steel.
 14. The exercise deviceof claim 4 wherein said leaf spring is manufactured from a materialselected from the group consisting of resilient plastic, fiberglass,graphite, boron, carbon fiber or other flexible semi-rigid material.